


Tough Love

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Masaru Yokoyama, The AFR Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-04-07 22:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14091219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: History repeats itself in Tokyo as Iwai finds himself suddenly hosting a younger man who got in trouble back home. But unlike 13 years ago, this man actually can be considered dangerous. And he's quickly taking an interest in the proprietress of a certain Book Town coffee joint.





	1. The New Guy

Kaoru sighed as he trudged down the alley to his dad’s shop. Being Ren’s financial advisor was exhausting. Sure, there were worse jobs than working for a Diet Member, but Ren had a lot of progressive ideas that just didn’t tend to fit in with the system of government as it existed. The entire week Ren and his team had been working on a new budget proposal that would lead to improved police training. Kaoru severely doubted it would pass, but it was his job to figure out the numbers to make Ren’spolicies work, not come up with policies himself. Ordinarily, after a trying day like this, he’d be headed straight to Cafe Noir for a pick-up that came both from the delicious coffee Haru made and her infectious smile, but Ren wanted to get Iwai’s expertise on some information regarding the latest advances in non-lethal weapons technology, so Kaoru found himself delivering a list of questions to his father’s store. Kaoru pushed through the door with all his weight.

“Hey, I-“

Kaoru froze as a harsh pair of eyes glared at him from behind the counter. It wasn’t the usual world-weary gaze of his father. This was a man he had never seen before. He was tall and muscular with a large scar on his left cheek, brown hair trimmed all the way down into a buzz cut, and pitch black eyes that scanned Kaoru like they were trying to find a weakness in case a fight broke out. From the way the man’s gaze lingered, Kaoru felt like his many obvious weaknesses were being catalogued one by one. The man wore a brown leather jacket, a scarlet shirt, and some blue jeans, all of which looked old, worn-out, and seemed to just barely fit him, as if they weren’t his clothes at all. The only thing that did seem to fit right was a single black leather glove on his right hand. His left hand was bare.

“Um…” Kaoru wasn’t sure what to make of this man. He’d seen plenty of scary individuals in his father’s shop before, but none of them were ever behind the counter. “Hi?”

“Welcome t’ Untouchable.” The man’s voice was gruff like his father’s, but much deeper. There was a lot of bass to it. “Whaddya want?”

“Well, I…” Kaoru had to take a breath to slow down his heart rate. This man definitely seemed unpleased at his presence, but his demeanor wasn’t outright hostile. More annoyed than anything. “Is my father here?”

“Dunno.” The man leaned back against the door to the back office. “Who’s yer old man?”

“Iwai. This store’s owner.”

“Oh.” A barely-interested glint of realization appeared in the man’s eyes. “So you’re Kaoru, huh?”

“Yes.”

“One sec.” The man took his weight off the door and banged on it three times loudly with his ungloved hand. “Yo, Boss! Your kid’s here!”

“I’m comin’!” Iwai grumbled from the other side. A few seconds passed at the door opened, Iwai giving a tired glare to the stranger and fiddling with his hearing aid. “Ya don’t gotta attack the fuckin’ door. I still got one good ear.”

“Sorry.” The man seemed a little sheepish, of all things. Kaoru was surprised by the sudden change in demeanor.

“Kaoru, this is Masaru Yokoyama.” Iwai tilted his head towards the man. “He’s gonna be workin’ here for a while.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Kaoru bowed to Masaru.

“Uh, sure.” Masaru returned the bow half-heatedly. “You too, I guess.”

“I didn’t know you were looking for new help” Kaoru said to his father.

“I wasn’t.” Iwai crossed his arms. “He’s the kid of a buddy of mine from the old days. He got into some trouble back home and needed to relocate. His old man asked me to help him get on his feet here in Tokyo.”

“Trouble?” Kaoru looked at Masaru’s face scar. “Wait, are you a ya-“

“The past don’t matter” Masaru said. “I’m a clerk at a gun shop now.”

“I keep tellin’ ya, airsoft store.” Iwai shook his head. “We don’t sell real guns here. Don’t go sayin’ shit that’ll give people the wrong idea.”

“Right.” Masaru nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind, Boss.”

“So, what’s up?” Iwai looked back to Kaoru.

“Oh right.” Kaoru handed Ren’s letter to Iwai. “Ren-San asked me to give you this list of questions. I really wish you’d just accept e-mails from him so I didn’t have to play messenger like this.”

“Uh-uh.” Iwai shook his head as he accepted the letter. “The kid don’t need records of him talkin’ with me on the net. Can only end badly for both of us.”

“Well, be that as it may, I’m off the clock now.” Kaoru yawned, a small smile forming on his face. “Which means I’m off to Cafe Noir!”

“Haru’s place, huh?” Iwai scratched his chin, then looked at Masaru. “Take the new guy with ya.”

“What?” Kaoru and Masaru asked in unison.

“Yer new in town. Can’t spend all the time workin’. Gotta start makin’ a life for yerself.”

“Ya sure about this?” Masaru asked.

“Get out” Iwai said sternly.

“‘Kay.” Masaru walked out from around the counter and opened the front door, holding it for Kaoru. “So, this place we’re goin’, it’s a coffeehouse?”

“That’s right.” Kaoru smiled warily as he stepped out of the shop. “It’s the best coffee in the whole city!”

“That sounds ok, I guess.” Masaru yawned as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. “Ya know a good bar we could hit after?”

“I don’t really frequent bars.”

“Figures.” Masaru followed from a few feet behind as Kaoru headed down the street. “Well, I can just find someplace on my own when we’re done.”

* * *

“This is pointless!”

Morgana groaned over the periodic table of elements in his textbook.

“What’s the use of homework anyway!? We already do all this stuff in school! If I can do it there, isn’t that good enough!?”

“That’s exactly the point, Mona-Chan.” Haru stood over the table where the 13-year-old cat-turned-human was sitting. “Homework is meant to keep you thinking about the material outside of classes so you remember it better. If you can only answer these questions while you’re in the classroom, you’re not truly learning anything.”

“But this is so beneath me! Memorizing elements? When does anybody use this in day-to-day life?”

“Hmm…” Haru tilted her head towards the ceiling, seriously considering Morgana’s question. “Well, I’ll admit that unless you go into a very specific field, you’ll likely never need it, but that doesn’t mean you can just slack off. This is the middle school curriculum.”

“I’ve sat in on high school classes before!”

“Yes, over a decade ago. But you never actually got the previous levels of education.” Haru shook her head. “You wanted to live a regular human life. At your age, this is what regular human life is.”

“I can’t wait to be older.” Morgana crossed his arms and huffed. “Being trapped in this short child body is so undignified for a gentleman like myself.”

“A proper gentleman would do the work required of him without complaint, you know.”

Morgana opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. He sat in thought for a moment, then with a resigned scowl, returned his attention to his textbook. Haru stifled a giggle and placed a cappuccino at the table to help keep him going.

Haru was distracted from her charge by the sound of the bell above the door ringing.

“Good evening, Haru-San!”

Kaoru entered, followed by a tall man Haru had never seen before. He looked down at Morgana.

“Good evening, Mona-Kun!”

Morgana made some kind of non-verbal sound with his mouth that acknowledged Kaoru’s existence, staying focused on his homework. Kaoru was content with this excuse for a greeting and sat down at the counter.

“Good evening, Kaoru-Kun!” Haru gave Kaoru a smile as she returned to her usual spot behind the counter. She looked at the man who had come in with him. He was certainly not the kind of man Haru usually imagined Kaoru associating with. “Is this man your friend?”

“Not exactly.” Kaoru turned towards his company. “This is Yokoyama-San. He’s working at Untouchable now. He’s… a family friend.”

“Oh?” Haru bowed to Masaru. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yokoyama-San. My name is Haru Okumura. I’m an old friend of Kaoru-Kun and Iwai-San’s. Welcome to Cafe Noir!”

“Just call me ‘Masaru’.” 

“Alright, Masaru-Kun!”

“Uh…” Masaru was about to protest to the overly-familiar suffix attached to his name, but clearly wasn’t used to dealing with bubbly people like Haru and decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He sat down at the counter. “So… can I get a coffee or somethin’?”

“You certainly can!” Haru turned to Kaoru. “And for you, Kaoru-Kun? The usual?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“One minute please!”

Haru turned around and got to work mixing Kaoru’s special brew. She looked back over her shoulder at Masaru as she worked.

“So, Masaru-Kun, are you from out of town?”

“Yeah.”

Haru waited a moment to see if Masaru was going to follow up on that statement. When it became clear he was not, she decided to press him for more information.

“Where have you moved here from?”

“Osaka.”

Haru paused. Another one-word answer.

“And what brings you to Tokyo?”

“New job.”

Two words. Haru was counting it as progress. Thankfully, Kaoru seemed to pick up on her frustration, hidden though it was.

“Come on, Yokoyama-San, you can be a bit less stiff, can’t you?” Kaoru tried to elbow Masaru, but only made contact with air. It was only just now that he was realizing that when Masaru had sat down, he had ensured there was an empty seat serving as a buffer between the two of them.

“Fine.” Masaru grumbled before continuing. “Got in trouble with my old boss. Lost my job, and couldn’t keep stayin’ at my old place. Moved here to work for Iwai. He’s helpin’ me get on my feet here.”

“Well, that’s funny!” Haru giggled as she watched the coffee drip into the cups. “Your story sounds remarkably similar to another friend of mine, Masaru-Kun!”

“Oh yeah?” Masaru actually looked at Haru with a little bit of interest. “This friend of yours, uh…” Masaru was trying to think of how to subtly mention his old profession. He had to bring it up in a way where if Haru’s friend was in the same line of work, she’d know what he was talking about, but otherwise it could go ignored. Finally, an idea came to him, and he pinched a section of his jacket. “Does he wear a pin?”

“Yes!” Haru handed Kaoru his coffee. “He’s in the House of Representatives! He wears a legislator’s pin!”

“That ain’t what I- Never mind.”

“Well, whatever unfortunate circumstances forced you to relocate from Osaka, I certainly hope you’ll find your time in Tokyo much more enjoyable!” Haru gave Masaru a big smile as she placed his coffee in front of him. “And to help with that, I’m making your first cup of coffee here free of charge!”

“Oh. Thanks.” Masaru shrugged as he lifted the cup to his mouth, taking a small sip. His eyes widened and the sip turned into a large gulp. He’d never had a cup of coffee this good before. It almost felt criminal that he was getting it for free.

“How is it?” Haru asked.

“This is the best fuckin’ cup of joe I’ve ever had in my life.”

“I’m glad you think so!” Haru beamed at Masaru. “I grow the beans myself!”

“No shit?” Masaru looked at Haru in astonishment. “You got some talent, Okumura. You oughta take this national or somethin’.”

“My company has certainly tried to sell the idea to me, but I could never produce enough coffee beans to run a national chain.”

“‘Company’?” Masaru turned to Kaoru, only to discover he was no longer seated at the counter. Apparently, while Masaru and Haru were holding their conversation, Kaoru had joined Morgana at his table to help him with his homework, pointing out something in a math textbook.

“I’m the majority shareholder of Okumura Foods” Haru said.

“Okumura Foods? Ain’t that Big Bang Burger?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what the hell’re you doin’ here?”

“I leave the company’s operations to the board while providing general oversight and the occasional suggestion.” Haru leaned against the counter. “But I trust the board, and since I don’t need to deal with them full-time, I’m free to run this cafe.”

“That ain’t what I meant.” Masaru downed another gulp of coffee. “If you own a company, that makes you rich, don’t it? Why’re you workin’ in a cafe?”

“Because I enjoy it” Haru said. “It’s a labor of love.”

“If you say so.” Masaru whistled. “You live a charmed life, Okumura.”

“I suppose I can’t really argue with that.” Haru’s smile narrowed, but it was far from gone. “Still, I worked hard to make my own dreams come true. I cannot deny that I was born with certain advantages, but I have used them smartly and worked towards my goals.”

“I can respect that.”

The two were silent for a while as Masaru enjoyed the rest of his coffee. When he was finished, he walked outside and stepped into the alley next to the building for a smoke. As he was done with his cigarette, he saw Kaoru stepping out the front door.

“…wonderful as always, Haru-San. Goodbye!”

“Good night, Kaoru-Kun!” Haru waved at Kaoru from the counter before spotting Masaru outside the door. “Good night, Masaru-Kun!”

Masaru nodded and started to walk away. Kaoru closed the door and caught up with him quickly.

“I hope the cafe wasn’t too dull for you, Yokoyama-San.”

“It was fine.” Masaru shrugged. “Good coffee. Might go back if I can remember how to get there.”

“Ah, yes, that reminds me, do you need help finding the train station?”

“Sure, thanks.”

Kaoru walked a few feet ahead, leading Masaru back to the Jinbocho station. When it was visible, Masaru decided to speak up.

“Say, Kaoru, can I ask ya a question about Okumura?”

“About Haru-San?” Kaoru looked at Masaru curiously. “What?”

“You hittin’ that?”

“What!?” Kaoru started blushing. “I- I- I-“

“Hey, it’s nothin’ to be ashamed of.” Masaru smirked. “Pretty face, friendly, makes good coffee, nice rack, you could do a lot worse.”

“Haru-San and I are just friends!”

“Oh.” Masaru’s smirk persisted. “So what, you helpin’ her kid with his homework to get in good with her? I noticed she don’t got no ring.”

“It’s not like that at all! I was helping Morgana-Kun because it’s a nice thing to do, that’s all!” Kaoru sulked. “Besides, Haru-San has rejected me multiple times. I gave up on anything ever happening between the two of us long ago.”

“Ouch.” Masaru patted Kaoru’s shoulder. “Sorry, pal.”

Kaoru sighed. Masaru waited for a moment before continuing the conversation.

“So… If she ain’t your gal, you mind if I take a swing at her?”

“Excuse me!?”

“What? You just told me you ain’t got no claim to her, right?” Masaru’s grin spread from ear to ear. “She’s the hottest piece I’ve seen since comin’ to this city. I think me ’n’ her could have some fun together.”

“I’m done talking about this.” Kaoru walked ahead, his face a deep shade of red.

“If ya say so.” Masaru followed Kaoru at a steady pace. “‘Cuz I’m just gettin’ started thinkin’ about it.”


	2. Club Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masaru's plan to woo Haru quickly goes awry when he shows up at Cafe Noir on the same night a bunch of other ex-yakuza do.

The bell rang as Haru waved goodbye to her last customer of the evening. Well, last ‘normal’ customer, at least. It was Thursday night, which meant Haru had some new preparations to take care of. She moved around some tables until the cafe’s floorspace was mostly-clear, save for a few tables brought together to make one very large surface. Afterwards, she headed up to the attic to fetch the big screen plasma TV. The 55-inch screen wasn’t particularly heavy, but it was unwieldy, and Haru had to move very carefully and awkwardly shuffle sideways to get it out of the door and down the stairs. When she finally set it down on a table in the back of the cafe, she wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Damn, that’s some TV.”

Haru yelped at the sound of the voice and turned on her heel, fists clenched and whole body tensing. She saw her newest acquaintance sitting at the counter, staring at her.

“Masaru-Kun!” Haru loosened up and unballed her fists. “What are you doing here!?”

“Came by for coffee.”

“I’m sorry, but Cafe Noir is closed now.”

“So you watch TV after hours?” Masaru scratched his head. “What’s that about? Wanna watch somethin’ you don’t want your kid seein’?”

“My kid?” Haru looked at Masaru quizzically.

“Y’know, your son. Morioka or Momotaro or whatever his name was.”

“You mean Morgana.” Haru shook her head. “He’s not my son. He’s my younger brother.”

“He is?” Masaru leaned against the counter. “Huh. He don’t look like you. I figured he was your adopted son or somethin’.”

“Well, that’s a complicated story.” Haru sighed. “You may have heard of my father, Kunikazu Okumura.”

“Kunikazu… Sounds familiar…” Masaru closed his eyes and hummed in thought. After a few seconds, he opened them again. “Oh yeah! The guy who croaked on live TV, right?”

“Yes” Haru said solemnly. “As it turns out, shortly before his death, my father had impregnated an immigrant from Germany. She was going to come out about it, but after his demise, she took pity on me and decided not to throw further complication into the life of a teenage girl who’d lost her only family and inherited a multi-national corporation.”

“So she didn’t make a bid for any of your fortune? All ‘cuz of the hard time you were goin’ through?” Masaru whistled. “That lady musta been a saint.”

“I wouldn’t know. I never got to meet her.” Haru sat down on a stool, head hung low. “I didn’t learn about her or Mona-Chan until a year ago. His mother died and left him a note telling him the truth about his father. I was contacted and agreed to a blood test, and sure enough, Morgana was my younger brother. I’ve been his guardian ever since.”

“That’s somethin’ else.” Masaru was certainly impressed with Haru. Not by her story, but the way she told it. It was very well-rehearsed. If he hadn’t spent his life around some very convincing liars, he definitely would’ve been fooled. Still, if Haru and that kid’s real relationship was some kind of secret, he wasn’t going to pry. It’s not like he wasn’t keeping some things under wraps himself.

“Yes, well…” Haru resumed her usual cheery demeanor and strode over to the door, holding it open. “I hate to be rude, Masaru-Kun, but I must insist you leave now. On Thursday evenings, I reserve the cafe for an exclusive gentlemen’s club, and they’re not accepting new members at this time.”

“Ok, I get it, coffee service is over, I’ll scram.” Masaru growled as he rose from the stool. In truth, he knew that Cafe Noir would be closed now. He had come so late hoping to get a bit of alone time with Haru and see where things went. It figures that the day he decided to do it would be the day she was preparing for some fancy party. Well, he’d just have to come back in a few days. Didn’t wanna seem too desperate by showing up again the next night.

Masaru bumped into somebody walking through the door right after standing. He stumbled backwards, very nearly falling over.

“Watch where you’re goin’, you-“

Masaru shut up when he got a look at the person he collided with. It was an older man, at least in his 50s, head bald and face covered in scars. He was wearing a cheap suit and had a thick build. There was some paunch to be sure, but clearly a core of muscle underneath it. The guy was a little shorter than Masaru, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize such an obvious yakuza.

“Oh, Teppei-San!” Haru looked at the man in surprise. “You’re early! I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon!”

“Really?” Teppei looked at Haru in confusion. “I thought you were holding the door open for me!”

“How many times do I gotta say it, you dumb bastard?” A lanky man in a hat and trench coat with a short grey beard and glasses followed Teppei, grabbing his shoulder with his boney hand. “It’s daylight savings time! Our meeting’s not for another half hour!”

“What?! You were serious about that!?” Teppei’s jaw dropped. “What the hell, Itsuki! Why’d you come with me if you knew we were gonna be early!?”

“Because the last thing Miss Haru needs is to be damned to your company all alone for thirty minutes!” Itsuki tipped his hat to Haru. “Evenin’, Miss Haru. Sorry about this idiot.”

“I don’t mind, Itsuki-San!” Haru took a step back from the duo. “But, if you wouldn’t mind, could you please step out of the doorway? My friend here-“

“Oh, who’s this?” Teppei pointed at Masaru. “New member? He’s kinda young, ain’t he?”

“Young for what?” Masaru asked.

“Oh no,” Haru said, “you misunderstand, Teppei-San! Masaru-Kun isn’t-“

“‘Masaru’?” Teppei scratched his head. “Where’d I hear that name just recently?”

“Can’t you remember nothin’!?” Itsuki yelled. “It’s the name of that kid that Mune’s takin’ care of!”

“Oh yeah!” Teppei laughed and crossed his arms, turning towards Masaru. “You must be the guy! So, you come to shoot shit with the other retired yakuza?”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about” Masaru said.

“What, you’re here by accident?” Teppei laughed again and gave Masaru a thumbs-up. “Well, that’s a great coincidence! This is a club for ex-yakuza! You’ll fit right in, kid!”

“Again, I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Masaru crossed his arms. “I’m not ex-yakuza.”

“What are you talking about?” Teppei raised his eyebrow. “Mune said-“

Teppei was cut off by Itsuki smacking him in the back of the head.

“OW!” Teppei turned back to Itsuki. “What the hell was that for!?”

Itsuki angrily gestured towards Haru with both hands.

“Oh, right!” Teppei’s eyes darted back and forth nervously. “Uh, on second thought, I must have been mistaken. I knew Mune was taking in somebody, but the ‘ex-yakuza’ thing was probably my own imagination.”

Teppei looked at Haru. She had her hands on her hips and an angry expression on her face.

“This isn’t working, is it?” Teppei asked.

“No.” Haru’s expression softened as she turned to Masaru. “Masaru-Kun, you’re a former yakuza?”

“Well, I guess the secret’s out.” Masaru sighed and hung his head low. “Yeah. Was with a pretty dangerous outfit ’til last week. Then some shit went down and now I’m here.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“Nah.”

“Well, that’s fine. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Haru smiled, her spirited voice raising the energy of the entire room. “But if you’d like, you’re more than welcome to join the party! This is a safe space, and if you do decide you want to tell somebody your story, this is certainly the right place for it!”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Masaru tilted his head over his shoulder towards the door. “I think I’m just gonna take off.”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that” a new voice said.

Everybody turned to the door to see Makoto entering the cafe.

“Hey!” Teppei grinned. “It’s the lady detective!”

“Assistant Commissioner.” Itsuki tipped his hat to Makoto.

“Gentlemen.” Makoto nodded to the pair, then focused on Masaru. “Masaru Yokoyama, right?”

“Yeah.” Masaru glowered at Makoto. “What’s it to ya?”

“I’ve done my research, Yokoyama-San.” Makoto put a hand on her hip. “By all accounts, you’re a very dangerous man. I’m not so sure how I feel about you skulking around my friend’s cafe.”

“Mako-Chan!” Haru glared at Makoto. “You’re being very rude to Masaru-Kun right now! He’s done nothing wrong!”

“Maybe not here” Makoto said. “But after hearing about him I decided to put in a call to the Osaka police. He’s an enforcer suspected in a list of crimes as long as my arm.” Makoto frowned at Haru. “I know you like to see the best in people, Haru, and I’m certainly not going to tell you who you can and cannot host in your cafe, but I really don’t think you should be so welcoming to him without knowing about his history.”

“That’s… I…” Haru looked at Masaru, the conflicting emotions going off in her head plain to see in her eyes.

Masaru looked into those eyes and let out a grunt. This wasn’t worth it. He really didn’t want to talk or think about everything that’d happened over the last week. Sure, Haru was pretty, but there were probably plenty of pretty girls in this city who wouldn’t be as inquisitive. Hell, if he wanted sex so bad he could just go to the red light district and get a hooker. It’d just be easiest for Masaru to shut up and leave and not have to deal with any of this.

And yet, instead of heading out, Masaru’s feet wound up taking him over to a table, where he sat down. For whatever reason, there was something about Haru he found attractive besides her looks. Maybe it was just how genuine she was. Sure, she had some lie about that kid she was taking care of, but everybody had secrets. Masaru had been attracted to a lot of women in his time, but most of them were the type that liked playing head games. Haru Okumura didn’t seem to be that sort. Secrets aside, she seemed to be open and honest when it came to her emotions and dealing with other people. And so, Masaru figured if he was going to tell anybody his story, it might as well be her.

“Alright, fine.” Masaru put his feet up on the table. “But I ain’t gettin’ into it without some of that coffee I came here for.”

* * *

_Masaru had sat down to lunch at his favorite ramen joint. Right now, he was slurping up noodles, trying to distract himself from the pain in his face. Masaru heard the door to the shop open._

_“There you are!” A voice Masaru recognized as belonging to his sworn brother called out from behind him. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Yokoyama!”_

_“Hey, Endo.” Masaru waved over his back with one hand, still focused on his lunch. “What’s up?”_

_“I’ve been calling you for twenty minutes!” Endo stormed over to the table. “Did you forget to charge your phone again?”_

_“I guess.”_

_“For fuck’s sake…” Endo sat down at the table across from Masaru. “I’ve got something important to- Whoa, shit!”_

_“What?” Masaru looked up at Endo._

_“That’s some shiner!” Endo pointed to Masaru’s black eye from the fight. “What lucky bastard nailed you with that!?”_

_“I dunno I’d say ‘lucky’.” Masaru gave Endo a wicked grin. “He got my eye. I got his everythin’ else. That guy’s not gonna be walkin’ for a while.”_

_“Nice.” Endo let out a whistle. “Suda Family, right?”_

_“Yeah.” Masaru put down his chopsticks and cracked his knuckles. “Those fuckers’ll think twice next time they wanna step on the Honda Family’s turf.”_

_“Damn straight.” Endo’s eyes widened. “Oh! I forgot for a sec! I’m here on business! I’m supposed to give you a message.”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Boss wants to see you” Endo said. “Says he’s got a special assignment or something.”_

_“Oh yeah?” Masaru continued eating his ramen. “What’s Koga want?”_

_“No, not the lieutenant.” Endo shook his head. “The big boss.”_

_“Patriarch Honda!?” Masaru shot up out of his chair. “What the fuck, Endo!? You shoulda led off with that!”_

_“Sorry, sorry!” Endo shrugged. “I was distracted by that big black spot on your face. It’s not every day someone turns YOU into a punching bag.”_

_“I’d fuckin’ make you a punchin’ bag if I wasn’t in a rush now.” Masaru got up and ran for the restaurant’s entrance._

_“Don’t say that!” Endo called after him. “You know you love me! We’re brothers!”_

_“That’s great” Masaru yelled back as he left the shop. “Means you won’t mind coverin’ my tab, right!?”_

* * *

_“Oh good, you’re finally here.”_

_Patriarch Honda sat back in his chair, eyeing Masaru from behind his desk. He was smoothing down one of the ends of his thick, bushy, black mustache with his finger. Despite the fact that Honda was sitting and Masaru was standing, it still felt like Masaru’s boss was somehow looking down on him._

_“Been trying to get a hold of you all day, Yokoyama.”_

_“Sorry about that, sir.” Masaru bowed. “My phone got busted in a fight yesterday.”_

_“Yeah, against the Suda boys, right?” Honda’s mouth twisted up into a sly smile. “Heard you took on ten guys by yourself. Not bad, kid.”_

_“Actually, sir, it was only eight.”_

_“‘Only’.” Honda laughed. “That’s still impressive, you know. You’re a good soldier, Yokoyama.”_

_“Thank you, sir.”_

_“In fact, I’ve talked to Koga about your performance. Heard a lot of good things. You’ve been in the family, what, ten years now?”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_“That’s pretty good, you know. A decade of exemplary head-busting service."_

_"Well, not a full decade" Masaru said. "More like seven years. The first few years I wasn't a real member of the family, just some punk high-schooler runnin' errands."_

_"Well, that just shows what a go-getter you are, doesn't it?" Honda chuckled and twirled his mustache. "I think it’s time for the next thing, don’t you?”_

_“I’m not sure I follow, sir.”_

_“I’m talking about a promotion!” Honda pointed at Masaru. “Sakurai’s getting old and wants to retire. I’m gonna need a new second lieutenant soon, and I think you’re it, kid!”_

_“Are you serious!?”_

_“Sure am!” Honda clasped his hands together. “There’s just one thing I need you to do to confirm you’re the right man for the job.”_

_“Anything!”_

_“That’s what I like to hear!” Honda chuckled, then sighed. His eyes narrowed and the cheerful atmosphere of the room died instantly. “There’s a problem I want you to handle.”_

_“What kind of problem?”_

_“The stubborn idiot kind.” Honda started grinding his teeth. “There’s a bit of land on the outskirts of the city I’ve got my eye on. Perfect spot for building a nice, traditional-style inn.”_

_“‘Traditional’?”_

_“You know, sliding doors, female staff wearing robes, that kind of thing.” Honda raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Of course, the ladies we hire would also be taking their robes off, if you know what I mean.”_

_“Sounds good” Masaru said. “What’s the problem?”_

_“The land right now’s a farm. Not a very big one. They raise pigs and only pigs, but they make enough money to keep their heads above water.” Honda leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “I made an offer to the guy who owns the land to buy it for a nicer price than it’s worth, but he won’t sell. Says it’s old family land, and he wants to pass it down to his brat someday.”_

_“So what?” Masaru put his hands in his pockets. “You want me to scare him off?”_

_“No, we’re past that now.” Honda shook his head. “I already tried sending someone to scare him. My son.”_

_“Akito?”_

_“Yeah.” Anger filled Honda’s face. “Sent him to persuade the guy to sell. Instead, Akito wound up in the hospital.”_

_“No fuckin’ way!” Masaru knew Akito. He was kind of a prick, but he was also one of the toughest guys Masaru knew. Probably one of the only people who could give him a fair fight. The idea of that guy getting wrecked by an old man was inconceivable._

_“Yeah. The bastard got the jump on him. Went to town on my kid with a fucking shovel like a goddamn lunatic.”_

_“Holy shit.”_

_“This isn’t about land anymore, Yokoyama.” Honda slammed his fist on the desk. “I don’t give a damn about the farm or the hotel! No civilian is gonna hurt MY kid and get away with it! I want blood for blood!”_

_“Alright, beat the shit outta a farmer.” Masaru nodded his head. “Pretty sure I can do that.”_

_“No!” Honda stood up. “This is gonna be eye for an eye! He hurts my kid, I hurt his!”_

_“Ok…” Masaru wasn’t wild about the idea of hurting a civilian, but it seemed like a reasonable course of action. “So, this farmer’s son… He help his old man? Big guy, used to lots of physical labor?”_

_“You don’t have to worry about a fight.” Honda sat back down. “He’s only three. Should be easy to break a few bones, send a message.”_

_“Wait, he’s a kid!?” Masaru’s pulse quickened. “A KID kid!? Not a ‘grown-up son’ kid?”_

_“Yeah.” Honda raised his eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”_

_“I mean, yeah.” Masaru couldn’t fully hide the look of disgust that had formed on his face. “I don’t feel so good about hurtin’ an actual child.”_

_“‘Don’t feel good’?” Now Honda had a disgusted face. “Are you a fucking yakuza or not!?”_

_“Of course I am!” Masaru found his never, his face returning to normal. “I’m just sayin’, if we hurt a kid, there’s no way the cops’re gonna overlook that, right!?” Masaru’s heart started racing. “I mean, sure, we put the hurt to a farmer, whatever, no big deal, could say it was an accident. But there’s nobody we can pay off to make assaultin’ a little kid go away, right? Somebody’s gotta go to jail for that!”_

_“Not ‘somebody’.” Honda pointed at Masaru. “You.”_

_“But I… That’s…”_

_“Look, I get it.” Honda stood up from his desk. “You’re 25, you got your whole life ahead of you. You’ve kept out of the slammer so far, and you wanted to keep it that way. But you’re part of an organization. You know how these things go.”_

_“I do?”_

_“Sure you do!” Honda walked out from around the desk in a slow, easy-going stride. “You’ve heard plenty of stories like this! Young guys take the fall so their superiors stay free. We’ll grease the wheels so you don’t get a sentence longer than ten years, maybe less with good behavior, and you’ll have proven your loyalty to the family!”_

_“I thought I’d already proved my loyalty to the family plenty.”_

_“Hey, you have! You’re a good man. I know that, Koga knows that, your buddies know that, but some guys need convincing. You do this, you prove you’re willing to do anything, and by the time you get out, there’ll be a lot of good things waiting for you.” Honda put his hand on Masaru’s shoulder. “You’ll have my deepest gratitude.”_

_“Gratitude, huh?” Masaru grumbled._

_“Hey, if you don’t want to do it, that’s fine.” Honda took his hands off Masaru’s shoulder and stepped back. “I thought you were somebody I could depend on, but I won’t force you to do this if you don’t got the balls for it. If you’re not the man for the job, you can stay where you are ’til you grow a pair and I’ll find somebody who’s got the stones to see to that brat.”_

_“No, wait!” Masaru threw his hands out. “You don’t gotta get somebody else. I’ll handle it, sir.”_

_“That’s what I’m talking about!” Honda laughed and patted Masaru on the back. “I knew you were my guy, Yokoyama! You just watch! Ten years from now, your life’s gonna be better than anything you can imagine!”_

_“Yeah…” Masaru felt like his heart had just dropped into his stomach. “Anything I can imagine. Sounds great.”_

_What Honda was saying was probably true. Masaru had never had that great of an imagination._

_But if he wanted to be able to live with himself, he’d have to get one, fast._


	3. A Real Barn Burner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masaru leaves the yakuza in a very roundabout way.

**_BANG BANG BANG_ **

_Fujimoto grumbled as he shuffled towards the front door. When the banging first started, he hoped it was just a dream. Then it persisted, and he thought maybe if he just ignored it for a minute, whoever was at the door would go away. After all, it was 3 AM. He still had a couple hours before he had to get up and get to work on the farm._

_Sadly, this strategy failed, and it seemed whatever damn fool was knocking on Fujimoto’s door in the dead of night wasn’t going to go away until his knuckles started to bleed. It was amazing that this inconsiderate moron hadn’t woken up Takeo yet. Fujimoto yawned as he opened the door._

_“Whoever the hell you are, you better be bleeding to death, because if you knocked on my door at this hour without a damn good reason I’m gonna-“_

_“Pack your things.”_

_Masaru stood in the door, dressed in a black tracksuit. His eyes were darting around nervously._

_“What did you just say?” Fujimoto asked._

_“Your stuff.” Masaru focused his eyes on the farmer before him. “Take what you need. Cash, clothes, whatever.” Masaru reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. He held them out to Fujimoto. “These are for a ferry to Sapporo in a couple hours. I sprung for you two to get beds. Get your kid and never come back.”_

_“Now hold up!” Fujimoto smacked Masaru’s hand away. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about, but-“_

_“The Honda Family.”_

_“Huh?”_

_“The Honda Family. Y’know, the yakuza.”_

_“Yeah, I know. What about ‘em?”_

_“They’ve got it out for you.”_

_“What!?”_

_“I’m one of ‘em. The boss told me to send you a message by hurtin’ your kid.” Masaru’s natural glare softened. “I don’t wanna do that.”_

_“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Fujimoto’s heart started racing. “Do they really want this land that badly?”_

_“Yeah.” Masaru held up the tickets again. “Which is why you need to take your son and scram. We’re not a big enough outfit to hunt you down on the other side of the country, so this is your best option.”_

_“But…” Fujimoto stared at the tickets. “Is picking up our lives the only option here? We could go to the cops and-“_

_“No good.” Masaru grunted. “You got no proof you’re bein’ targeted except what I just said, and I ain’t gonna testify against my own family. Grab your kid, grab whatever you need, and get as far away from here as you can.”_

_“How do I know you’re not lying?”_

_Masaru gave no answer. He simply leaned forward and stared into Fujimoto’s eyes. It was an uncomfortable position for the older man to be in, but in that moment, one thing was obvious._

_This yakuza stranger, whoever he was, was telling the truth._

_“Ok.” Fujimoto took the tickets. “I don’t like this, but I don’t like the alternative more.”_

_“Good.” Masaru stepped into the house. “I just need two things before you take off.”_

_“What?”_

_“First, I need a set of your kid’s clothes. Leave an outfit behind.”_

_“Alright…” Fujimoto raised an eyebrow. “And what’s the second thing?”_

_“I need you to show me where you keep your pigs.”_

* * *

_Masaru watched as the little car turned a corner in the distance and disappeared. Fujimoto’s kid was pretty confused by what was going on, but thankfully the runt was too sleepy to make much of a fuss. With the two safe, it was time for Masaru to get to work making it look good._

_It took some doing finding a pig about the kid’s size and then getting that pig into the kid’s pajamas, but Masaru pulled it off somehow. The dumb animal was flailing and squealing as he carried it to the barn, but with the Fujimotos gone there was nobody around to hear the ruckus it made._

_Masaru looked around the barn for something he could use to mangle the pig beyond recognition. There had to be something. A wood chipper or a wheat thresher or even just some hedge clippers he could go to town with. After a minute, Masaru noticed a bunch of tools hanging on the wall by a tractor, including a chainsaw._

_“Sorry, Porky.” Masaru held the pig tight as he could as he approached the tools. “But it’s either you or the kid, and I gotta side with my own species.”_

_“This is fucking pathetic.”_

_Masaru looked around for the source of the voice. His first clue was the smell of smoke coming from the back of the barn. He looked and saw the tiny light of a lit cigarette emerging from the shadows, bobbing in the darkness as it got closer. Soon enough, the cigarette revealed itself to be perched in the mouth of a man Masaru knew all too well: He’d know that shitty pencil mustache, slicked-backed red-dyed hair, manic eyes, and tacky yellow suit anywhere._

_Masaru was face to face with Akito Honda, Patriarch Honda’s son. He had an annoyed look on his face as he approached Masaru with a cocky stride, definitely not injured enough to be in the hospital. As a matter of fact, the guy didn’t seem to be injured at all._

_“Akito!?” Masaru dropped the pig, which immediately bolted for the barn door. “What the hell’re you doin’ here?”_

_“Watching you flush your life down the drain.” Akito held his cigarette between his fingers, breathing out a large plume of smoke. “Did you really think this dumbass plan was gonna work? My old man knows the difference between a pig and a kid, you know.”_

_“I don’t get it.” Masaru found himself subconsciously clenching his fists. The look in Akito’s eyes spelled trouble. “Ain’t you s’posed to be laid up in some hospital room?”_

_“Are you a fucking retard or something?” Akito shook his head. “This is a test, you dumb ape! A test you just failed, by the way.”_

_“Whaddya mean?”_

_“Pops told you to hurt the farmer’s kid for the honor of the family.” Akito sneered at Masaru. “Instead, you go ahead and try to pull the wool over our eyes with a dead pig instead. You didn’t seriously think that was gonna work, did you?”_

_“I don’t get it.” Masaru looked Akito up and down, as if he’d suddenly notice some bandages or something that would make things make sense again. “You’re tellin’ me that you ain’t hurt? So why was I sent here?”_

_“Like I said, it was a test!” Akito pointed at Masaru. “You’ve won a lot of fights, but you’ve never shown that you would really get your hands dirty if we needed it! You were supposed to show that you’re willing to do anything for the family! I was sent by Pops to watch you and see if you’d actually hurt the kid, and if you did, I was just gonna stay out of sight and let you do your thing.”_

_“Alright…” Masaru suddenly felt a lot more awake. He had a pretty good idea of what was about to go down. “And if I didn’t?”_

_“Well then…” Akito tossed his cigarette over his shoulder and cracked his knuckles. “I’m supposed to teach you a lesson about going against the old man’s wishes.”_

_Masaru didn’t waste any more time with words. Akito was already charging at him. It was useless to talk to this guy. He was a violent, bullheaded jackass on a good day. But more than that, Masaru needed to focus on fighting immediately. Because Akito was one of the few guys he knew who could actually match him in a fight, meaning if he brought anything less than his A game, he could very well wind up dead._

_Masaru and Akito threw right hooks at the same time, each one’s fist driving into the left cheek of their foe. Both reared back and then charged forward, but while Akito swung high, Masaru went low. He ducked under the punch and grabbed Akito’s legs, lifting him off the ground._

_Masaru kept moving forward, carrying Akito against his shoulder, Akito raining his fists down on Masaru’s back, head, and shoulders over and over. Masaru withstood the punches and slammed Akito’s back into the tractor, the redhead’s assault letting up as he hissed in pain. Masaru wasted no time getting back on the offensive, pulverizing the pinned gangster before him, fists driving into his gut, chest, and face over and over._

_Akito managed to keep his cool despite this battering and maintained just enough of his mental faculties to tilt his head out of the way of a punch. Masaru’s fist slammed into the metal of the tractor, quickly bringing an end to the beating as he screamed and tried to shake out the pain. Akito took advantage of the pause in the fight to lunge forward in a headbutt, his thick skull slamming into Masaru’s nose, breaking it. Masaru stumbled backwards from the attack, and Akito pressed his offensive._

_Akito hit Masaru with a left. Then a right. Then a hammer blow directly down on his head. Then he threw another left, which Masaru smacked away with his right hand. With Akito’s groove thrown off, Masaru flattened out his hand and reversed his arm’s momentum, delivering a powerful chop to Akito’s kidney. As Akito winced in pain, Masaru reached out and grabbed the back of his head with both hands, pulling downwards and raising his knee into Akito’s face, repaying him for the broken nose. Akito fell to his knees, trying to stop himself from collapsing completely, and Masaru reared back his leg for a kick._

_And then he stopped as he realized that the smell of smoke had gotten much stronger._

_And the barn was a lot less dark than before._

_And the air was a lot harder to breathe._

_Indeed, in the thrill of battle, Masaru had somehow failed to notice that Akito’s discarded-but-still-burning cigarette had landed in, of all things, a pile of hay. The straw lit up quickly, and the fire was starting to spread to the rest of the barn, the back third already completely caught up in the blaze. Akito took advantage of Masaru’s distracted state to nail him with a punch to the balls, giving Akito the time he needed to get up._

_The two continued to slug it out as the fire grew ever-closer. Masaru nailed Akito on the jaw. Then Akito got Masaru in the eye. Masaru slugged Akito in the solar plexus. Akito kicked Masaru in the hip. Back and forth they went, going blow for blow, each having new bruises and lacerations to show for their troubles, both starting to tire out, but neither showing signs of stopping anytime soon._

_After a couple minutes of trading blows, the two wound up grappling, hands on each other’s shoulders. Masaru could tell that Akito was trying to throw him towards the fire, and it was taking all of his strength to resist. But Masaru seemed to be losing his stamina just a bit quicker, and it seemed like Akito would overpower him and turn him into ash any second. Thinking quickly, Masaru quit pushing against Akito and pulled backwards, rolling on his back, catching Akito’s gut on his feet, then thrusting his legs out as he completed the maneuver and threw the younger gangster with all the power in his lower body._

_Akito crashed into a beam and hit the ground, and as he tried to get up, Masaru turned onto his front, rising to his knees, raising his fist above his head, and flinging it downwards into Akito’s face, bouncing the back of the redhead’s skull against the hard ground. Masaru nailed Akito’s face two more times for good measure and rose to his feet._

_Akito tried to sit up again, reaching out to Masaru, but he finally passed out and his arm and back fell to the ground. Masaru started limping to the barn door, sore all over from the fight, but looked back at his fallen foe. The flames were almost on Akito. Masaru sighed and limped back, grabbing Akito’s ankle and dragging him out of the barn with him._

_The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon as Masaru made his escape from the burning building. And standing right before him was, of all people, Endo._

_“Endo, perfect!” Masaru’s face lit up. “I could really use a hand here. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to carry this lug all the way back to my c-“_

_“Stop.” Endo held out his hand and looked around. Masaru followed Endo’s gaze and realized his sworn brother was flanked by two more Honda Family men on each side._

_“Endo?” Masaru’s smile instantly died and he tried to take a fighting stance, although it was clear he didn’t have any fight left in him. “What’s goin’ on?”_

_“You messed up real bad, brother.” Endo’s face was as sad as any Masaru had ever seen. “The boss wants to see you.”_

* * *

“So then what happened?” Teppei asked.

Everybody was listening to Masaru’s story with bated breath. Over the night, another half-dozen ex-yakuza had shown up in Cafe Noir, and all of them were hanging onto Masaru’s every word.

“They took me to Patriarch Honda” Masaru said. “Obviously, he wasn’t happy with what I’d done.”

“I’m amazed you made it out alive” Itsuki said. “Seems like the boss woulda killed you right then and there.”

“He almost did. Laid into me pretty good. Used brass knuckles, even.” Masaru had a sour look on his face as he recalled the one-sided beating. “Said he was gonna let me live because when I had the chance, I saved his kid from the fire instead of leavin’ him to die.”

“I’m impressed” Makoto said. “Legally speaking, you might have been able to build an argument that leaving him to die was self-defense. That you would risk your own wellbeing in your hurt and exhausted state to save the man who tried to kill you is no small feat.”

“Leavin’ Akito to die woulda been the same as killin’ him.” Masaru finished off his coffee. “I ain’t never killed nobody before, and I wasn’t gonna start now. Roughin’ somebody up is one thing. Nothin’ wrong with lettin’ folks know that pain’s waitin’ for ‘em if they mess with your territory or the people in it. But I guess I just never thought it was right to take a life, even for the organization.” Masaru looked into his empty cup. “You beat a guy up, they get to decide what to do with their life from there. You kill ‘em, it’s like you’re makin’ a choice for ‘em.”

“And you think that’s not your choice to make.”

“Yeah.” Masaru looked up at Makoto. “I’ve never put the screws to someone who didn’t deserve it. We all gotta make our own choices in life. If that choice means you get your ass kicked, that’s your own damn fault. But I wasn’t gonna hold a little kid responsible for his old man’s choice. And that fact meant I couldn’t work for someone like Honda anymore. You can guess what that led to.”

“Yes.” Makoto stared at Masaru’s gloved hand. “I can.”

“What?” Haru asked. She looked at Masaru’s hand. “What did it lead to, Masaru-Kun?”

Masaru sighed and took off his glove. He held up his hand, showing off all four of his fingers.

“Oh my!” Haru covered her mouth, looking back and forth between it and the glove. “But… I thought you had all-“ Haru cleared her throat and lowered her hands. “I mean, when you were wearing your glove-“

“Somethin’ Iwai hooked me up with.” Masaru held up the glove. It was entirely limp, save for the pinky, which was still solid. He bent the pinky, and the empty ring finger bent with it. “Attached to the finger next to it to copy its movements. Helps me look normal in public.” Masaru put his glove back on. “Well, normal as a guy like me can look, I guess.”

“So… That’s the whole story?” Haru looked at Masaru fearfully. “You’re not in any more danger, are you? Are you sure that your former clan won’t try to have you assassinated?”

“I ain’t important enough for that. Besides, Iwai’s got friends and those friends have friends in the Honda Family. So long as I don’t come back to Osaka or do anything to help the family’s enemies, they’re gonna leave me alone.”

“And you’re ok with that?” Haru asked. “Leaving behind your life and home? Don’t you miss any of it?”

“‘Ok’?” Masaru snickered. “Nah. I don’t think I’m ‘ok’. But it’s the way it is. Can’t do nothin’ ‘bout it now. They say I betrayed the family, but they betrayed me first by lyin’ to me about that bullshit test. If I hadn’t stuck to my principles, I wouldn’t’ve just hurt a kid, I would’ve hurt a kid for some fake revenge that wasn’t even needed, just to prove a point. They thought they might not be able to trust me, and I guess they were right.” Masaru grinned at Haru. “But I ain’t sorry about it. Not for a second.”

* * *

The night continued on from there, and although Masaru would never admit it, he actually started to enjoy himself among all the older ex-yakuza. He didn’t participate in the conversation much. Frankly, telling his story was already a lot more talking than he was used to. But the company was alright, at least. Hell, he even started to find some kind of mutual respect with Makoto, and he never thought he’d ever meet a cop he didn’t completely hate. One by one, the old fogies started to trickle out, and then Makoto headed home too, saying something about wanting to see her husband before he fell asleep for the night.

It was a quarter to midnight and Masaru finally left, bidding Haru goodbye. As he reached the threshold of the cafe, he heard Haru speak up behind him.

“Um… Masaru-Kun…”

“Yeah?” Masaru looked back at Haru.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you one final question about your story.”

“Yeah?” Masaru grunted. He really didn’t want to think about it any more. “What is it?”

“Whatever happened to the pig?”

“The pig?” Masaru raised his eyebrow.

“Yes. You know, the pig that you dressed up in the little boy’s pajamas.” Haru seemed very worried. “Did he turn out ok?”

“Uh… yeah. I think so.” Masaru scratched his head. “I mean, I didn’t see him again. Maybe he went back to the pig pen, but I’m guessin’ he’s just loose in the countryside now.”

“I see…” Haru leaned against the counter, staring up at the ceiling pensively. Masaru waited to see if she was going to say anything else, but after a few moments of silence, decided to head out.

And then, when he had one foot through the door, he heard a giggle. Masaru turned around to see Haru covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking.

“What’s so funny?” Masaru asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Haru let out a small chuckle as she spoke. “I was just thinking about how that pig is probably still wearing that little boy’s pajamas. If he’s doing all the normal pig things like rolling around in mud, I imagine those pajamas must be quite filthy by now!”

Masaru stared at Haru in disbelief for a moment. Then he started to smile. Then he felt his gut shaking, and the next thing he knew, he started to laugh. It was slow and reserved at first. Then he started to lose control, and it became loud. It was a raspy laugh, definitely one a lot of people would find unsettling, and Masaru usually didn’t let out more than a chuckle, but he just couldn’t control himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed this hard. Haru followed suit, her giggle fit turning into an uncontrolled burst of joy. After a minute, the two settled down, Masaru wiping a tear from his eye.

“You’re really somethin’, Okumura, you know that?”

“What do you mean, Masaru-Kun?” Haru had mostly regained her composure, but she needed to sit down, an errant giggle escaping her here and there.

“I tell you that whole big story about how I left the yakuza, and your big takeaway is that somewhere there’s a pig gettin’ some pajamas dirty!?”

“It’s a genuine concern!” Haru had completely stopped laughing and put her hands on her hips. “I know a few children, and they get very attached to the strangest things! I just hope that little boy wasn’t overly-fond of that nightwear.”

“I’m sure the kid’ll live.” Masaru shook his head. “Anyway, I think I’m gonna call it a night. I figure you oughta be gettin’ back to your own kid instead of worryin’ about somebody else’s.”

“I told you, Morgana isn’t my son, he’s my brother.”

“Right, right. Sorry.” Masaru turned back to the outside and waved over his shoulder. “G’night, Okumura.”

“Haru.”

“Huh?” Masaru looked back one more time.

“My name is Haru. Feel free to use it.”

“Alright.” Masaru nodded. “G’night, Haru.”

“Have a pleasant evening, Masaru-Kun.”

After the door shut behind her last guest, Haru finished cleaning the cafe, humming all the time. Her little improvised tune only stopped then and again, interrupted by the odd chuckle brought about by the image of a pig in a little boy’s clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I love writin' violence.


	4. Cupid's Rocket Propelled Grenade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masaru second-guesses his plans regarding Haru, but giving up isn't as easy as he thinks.

It was Sunday morning and the sun had just finished rising. Although most of Booktown hadn’t woken up yet, there were at least two people up and about with purpose. The first was Haru, getting ready to open Cafe Noir before any of the teenage part-timers she hired would be showing up for their day off of school. The second was Masaru, striding down the street with his usual cool, his stoic face doing a very good job of disguising the weird, unfamiliar emotions he was feeling.

Masaru had decided he wanted to start something with Haru. So he was off to… Well, he wasn’t sure. ‘Ask her on a date’? That’s not really the kind of thing Masaru did. Sure, there’d been plenty of women in the past, and if you wanted to get technical about it he’d asked them out, but asking a girl out on ‘a date’ kinda sounded romantic, and while Masaru and his many past female companions had certainly had a very good time, romance was never really part of the equation.

At the same time, Haru wasn’t exactly like the other girls Masaru had spent time with. She wore much less revealing clothing, for one thing. Also seemed to have her life together instead of trolling for a dude with a fat wallet to show her a good time. Hell, in this case, Masaru might be the gold digger. Not that he was interested in her for her money. Honestly, Masaru had never cared much about ‘the good life’, such as it was presented to him. Yeah, nice stuff was nice, but the whole reason he’d joined up with the yakuza in the first place was a sense of belonging, a kinship he felt with the people. And now that was all lost to him.

And yet, for whatever reason, he felt like maybe he could find something similar with Haru Okumura. And so, even though the sign on the door said ‘Closed’, when Masaru saw Haru flitting around the shop putting out tablecloths, he pushed through the front door.

“I’m very sorry.” Haru turned around as she heard the bell ring. “But we’re not open just y- Oh! Masaru-Kun!”

“Yo.” Masaru stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around the shop disinterestedly, hiding any emotional investment with all the tact of a high school boy. “Can I get a coffee?”

“I’m afraid the cafe isn’t open yet” Haru said. “As you can see, I’m still getting the shop ready for customers.”

“Yeah, I know.” Masaru smirked. “Figured if I got here early I could get some joe while it’s most fresh.”

“My, how devious.” Haru chuckled and turned up her nose. It was only now that Masaru was noticing she’d somehow gotten her voluminous tresses under a bandana on top of her head, a feat that by any logical observation should’ve been impossible. “But I’m afraid cheaters don’t prosper here, Masaru-Kun. If you’re so insistent on jumping the line, I’m going to have to punish you!”

“Oh yeah?” Masaru crossed his arms. “Whatcha got in mind? Death by ticklin’?”

“Something even more insidious.” Haru reached into her pocket and tossed Masaru a matching bandana. “You’ll get your early coffee, but you’ll have to help me finish my morning preparations.”

“Alright, fair’s fair.” Masaru loosely tied the bandana on his head. “Whaddya need?”

“Well…” Haru began counting out tasks on her fingers. “The rest of these tables need tablecloths on them, the floor needs sweeping, and the front windows need to be washed.” Haru held up her three fingers proudly. “If you can overcome all three of these trials, you will be rewarded with the freshest cup of coffee in the city!”

“Hold up a sec.” Masaru scratched his head through the bandana. “Is this a punishment or a quest? I think you lost the thread there, Haru.”

“It’s both!” Haru clasped her hands behind her back and beamed at Masaru. “When you overcome these mighty challenges, you’ll be rehabilitated from your transgressions, and receive a hero’s award!”

“Well ok then.” Masaru cracked his knuckles. “Let’s do this.”

All in all, Haru’s ‘trials’ weren’t terribly difficult. Sure, the average layperson might look at Masaru and think him some big dumb ogre who only knows how to do violence, but being a lower-level yakuza soldier involved a lot of cleaning around the office. Even if it didn’t, these things just weren’t hard. Maybe Masaru had to fidget with the tablecloths a little to get them perfectly centered, but it only took a couple seconds. Haru had one of those dustpans on a long pole, so he didn’t even have to hunch over his back when sweeping the floor. And the windows weren’t really dirty at all to begin with, so wiping them down was really more of a formality than anything. Still, it all saved Haru a couple minutes of work, during which time she was floating around the kitchen humming a happy tune. By the time Masaru finished up, Haru gestured for him to take a seat at the counter.

“Well done, brave warrior.” Haru stood tall as she placed a mug of coffee and a plate with a croissant on it before Masaru. “With these deeds, you have paid penance for your transgressions. In recognition of your absolution, please enjoy this drink and pastry.”

“Thanks.” Masaru took a sip of the coffee and couldn’t stop himself from letting out a satisfied grunt. Fundamentally, it wasn’t really any different from the other coffee Haru had served him before. Sure, it was a little fresher than the pots she already had going at nighttime maybe, but Masaru figured you’d have to be some kind of super-connoisseur to actually tell the difference. Still, he had worked for this drink, even if the work was super easy, and there was something about that fact that made it all the more satisfying. Masaru put his mug down and pointed at the croissant. “What’s this?”

“My goodness, Masaru-Kun!” Haru’s eyes widened. “You’ve never seen a _croissant_ before?” she asked with the proper French pronunciation.

“Nope.” Masaru grabbed the pastry and flaky bits immediately began to crumble off under the rough touch of his fingers. He slowly picked it up and eyed it. “Who’s Kuwa-San?”

“Not ‘Kuwa-San’. It’s not a person.” Haru opened her mouth wide and spoke slowly. “ _Croissant_.”

“ _Kowazan_ ” Masaru said.

“Croissant.”

“ _Kulasan_.”

“Just try it.”

“‘Kay.” Masaru slowly bit into the tip of the baked treat, some flakes sticking to his lips. He licked them off and set the pastry down. “Not bad. Got a nice buttery taste to it. You make this?”  


“I wish.” Haru looked at the croissant wistfully. “I make some of the simpler baked goods here by hand, but I have to buy the croissants from a French bakery uptown. There’s a technique to making them that I simply haven’t had time to learn, much as I would like to.”

“If you wanna do it so badly, you oughta make some time for yourself.”

“I’d love to, but I simply cannot leave the shop for too long.”

“Ain’t you richer’n God?” Masaru leaned on the counter. “Seems t’me you could afford to hire a manager so you can go learn whatever you want.”

“That’s not how I run this cafe.” Haru’s voice had an odd stern quality to it. “I have no issue bringing on a few extra hands to help me serve when the cafe is busy, but owning and operating Cafe Noir is my dream come true. It’s a labor of love, and I very much doubt I could find a manager who has the same passion for maintaining the warm environment I’ve worked so hard to cultivate.”

“No babysitter good enough for your baby, huh?”

“I suppose that’s one way to put it.”

“Well, if that’s how ya feel, I guess I get why you don’t-“

The bell over the front door rang and a new voice cut off Masaru’s.

“Haru-San, I’m here!”

“Oh, Miki-Chan!” Haru waved towards the door. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Haru-San!” A short, somewhat plump girl who couldn’t be any older than 15 was standing in the doorway of the cafe, wiping down a large pair of glasses with a cloth. She put the spectacles back on and looked over to the counter. “I’m ready to begin my-“

Miki trailed off as she saw Masaru. He looked back, giving her a disinterested side-eye, and as she got a good look at his face, the fear on her own became evident.

“Um… Haru-San” Miki squeaked out. “Who is this man?”

“This is my friend Masaru-Kun!”

“Yo.” Masaru kept observing Miki with a glazed look in his eye. “You work here?”

“Um… y-yes.” Miki looked at Haru nervously. “Haru-San, this man is really your friend?”

A couple people had started to gather outside the door now. They were older than the girl — customers, most likely — but peered at Masaru through the cafe’s window and seemed to have reservations about coming in. Apparently, Masaru wasn’t the kind of person one would expect to see in a pleasant Book Town cafe on a Sunday morning. And, from the way they were staring at him, not exactly the kind of person they wanted to see either. He grumbled softly and took the bandana off of his head.

“Why yes, Miki-Chan.” Haru didn’t notice the shift in Masaru’s mood. “He was just helping me-“

Masaru slammed the bandana on the counter and rose from his seat.

“I gotta get goin’” Masaru said. “Got shit to do today.”

“Oh.” Haru frowned. “So suddenly?”

“Yeah, didn’t mean to stick around here long as I did.” Masaru made a beeline for the door, Miki quickly stepping out of his way. “Thanks for the coffee. See you around, Okumura.”

Masaru ground his teeth as he walked down the street away from the cafe. What was he thinking? Sure, Haru was a nice girl and all, and she hosted a little club of ex-gangsters, but for most of the day she was surrounded by normal people. Normal people who came to her cafe for her bubbly personality and would likely be terrified to see a guy like him there. Maybe when there were no people around the shop the two of them could have something, but at the end of the day she’d still have to go home to take care of her ‘little brother’ and worry about managing her business. And Masaru wasn’t exactly a PDA kind of guy, but he didn’t like the idea of not being able to spend time with a woman at normal hours.

Masaru had to face facts. He wasn’t in Tokyo to live some kind of fairy tale romance about forbidden lovers or whatever. He was a runaway gangster trying to get back on his feet. The kind of rough and tumble son of a bitch most people went out of their way to avoid, and not wrongfully so. Sure, Haru could get along with him. Hell, he figured she could get along with most anybody. But it’d be bad for her in the long run if he was hanging around all the time. There was a reason she only had those crusty old guys come late at night, after all. But Masaru’s best life would’ve been with the Honda Clan, and he’d flushed that all away over an ethical dilemma. There wasn’t a best life to look forward to anymore. Dreams were people with prospects, and Masaru didn’t have those anymore.

* * *

“I’m steppin’ out for a few minutes.”

Masaru was sitting behind the counter as Iwai came out of the backroom of Untouchable.

“Yeah?” Masaru straightened his back a little. “Where you headed, boss?”

“Outta lollipops.” Iwai pushed the front door open. “Got a shipment comin’ in tomorrow, but for now I gotta grab some from the convenience store.”

“What’s with those things anyway?”

“Whaddya mean?” Iwai paused in the doorway and looked back at Masaru.

“I mean, you’re always suckin’ on one. Is this you tryin’ to quit smokin’? Are they fulla nicotine?”

“Dumbass.” Iwai shook his head and left the store.

Masaru sat around for a few minutes, hoping no customers came in before Iwai got back. He still wasn’t used to working in the store yet, and while he knew enough about guns to deal with some random teenager just looking for something cool to show their friends, he wasn’t on the same level as some of the gun nut regulars with their very-specific requests and questions. He tried to keep himself entertained by grabbing one of the open model pistols and spinning it around on his finger like in movies, but he couldn’t quite get the technique right. After a few tries it flew off of his hand and dropped onto the floor. As Masaru kneeled down to pick up the gun, he heard the door open. There were a couple footsteps, then a moment of silence.

And then the silence was broken by, of all things, Haru’s voice.

“Hello?” Haru called out. Masaru heard her footsteps get closer to the counter. “Iwai-San? Are you here?”

Masaru took a deep breath rose from the floor.

“Yo, Okumura.”

“Masaru-Kun!” Haru jumped back in surprise. “What were you doing on the floor?”

“Dropped this.” Masaru held up the pistol.

“A Colt New Service revolver?” Haru leaned over the counter and eyeballed the gun. “Is that the Model 1909 or the M1917?”

“Yeah, it’s, y’know, a gun” Masaru mumbled. He stuck his finger between the trigger and the guard and tried rotating his finger again. “I just figured I’d try givin’ it a spin.”

“Well you’re never going to get it like that.” Haru held out her hand. “May I?”

“Knock yourself out.” Masaru handed the revolver to Haru, curious to see what would happen. The fact that she already knew about different models of guns had him intrigued.

“The problem is that you’re trying to use your finger to spin the gun.” Haru stuck her finger in the guard and let the pistol fall forward, dragged by the weight of the barrel. Once it was dangling upside-down from her finger, she started swinging it gently, moving her hand back and forth in the air. “Your finger only holds the revolver. You use the motion of your arm and wrist to actually spin it.” Haru began moving the position of her hand in circles, and the gun began making some slow flips, the barrel swinging up and back towards Haru before finding itself upside-down again. “Then, it’s as simple as letting its weight do all the work, and you can just catch the barrel as it comes back into your hand.”

Haru caught the barrel, finishing her demonstration by pointing the gun at Masaru’s face and pulling back the hammer.

“Now reach for the skies!”

“What, you’re robbin’ me now?”

“That’s right!” Haru giggled. “You never should have given me your weapon, Masaru-Kun!”

“Guess not.” Masaru smirked and crossed his arms. “Y’know that thing ain’t loaded, right?”

“Are you certain?” Haru flashed a wicked grin that Masaru didn’t think she was capable of. “I just performed a gun trick you were incapable of. Perhaps I loaded the barrel without your notice too.”

“You sure got a dark side for somebody in that much pink.”

“Well you know what they say.” Haru pulled the trigger, making the gun click. “Every rose has its thorn.” Haru put the gun down on the counter. “And I should know. I garden.”

“Gardenin’, gunplay, and runnin’ a cafe?” Masaru whistled. “Is there anything you don’t do, Okumura?”

“I don’t take kindly to when my friends are suddenly being distant from me.” Haru frowned. “Is something wrong, Masaru-Kun?”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’ve gone back to calling me by my last name.” Haru gazed upon Masaru with eyes full of profound disappointment the likes of which he’d never seen. It was like having the world’s saddest spotlight focused on him at full blast. The somber tone to Haru’s voice did not ease the sudden pang of guilt Masaru felt. “Did I do something to upset you?”

“Course not.” Masaru leaned back against the door to the back room. “Just havin’ one of those days is all.”

“I see.” Haru seemed to find some relief in that, but she was still visibly upset. “Did something in particular happen?”

“I’m just havin’ trouble adjustin’ to my new life is all.” Masaru sighed. “Back in Osaka I was big and scary lookin’, but I was runnin’ with the crew that controlled the whole area. On his own turf, even the ugliest son of a bitch is Prince Charmin’. Here, I’m just a scary face nobody wants nothin’ to do with.”

“Ah.” Haru looked down at her feet. “You’re referring to my employee and customers.”

“So you noticed.”

“I did.” Haru nodded. “I’m terribly sorry about that. I’ve always strived to give Cafe Noir a welcoming atmosphere where anybody can feel at home, and-“

“And havin’ a guy like me around ain’t conducive to that.” Masaru snarled. “Guess I’ll just stay away ‘cept on Yakuza Night.”

“That’s not what I was going to say at all!” Haru stomped her foot. “I was saying that you have every right to be there, and it’s not fair for others to make you feel unwelcome!”

“Oh.” Masaru’s half-baked stoicism and the rage he was trying to mask with it dissipated, and all that was left on his face was shock. “Uh… Thanks for sayin’ that.”

“I’m not just saying that.” Haru stared directly into Masaru’s eyes again, but instead of sadness, this time there was the fire of righteous determination. “Please feel free to stop by my cafe any time, Masaru-Kun. If anybody starts acting like you don’t belong there, I’ll set them straight personally.”

“Alright then.” For the first time since the morning, a genuine smile formed on Masaru’s face. “Thanks, Haru.”

“You’re quite welcome.” Haru smiled back with a level of joy Masaru was sure he could never match in a million years. “Now then, let’s discuss the reason I came here.”

“Eh?” Masaru cocked his eyebrow. “You ain’t here to talk to me?”

“To be perfectly candid…” Haru started blushing and cleared her throat. “I forgot that you worked here.”

“Oh.” Masaru turned his head to the side and scratched the cheek facing Haru, positioning his hand to cover up the slight blush he felt coming on. “So whaddya need?”

“I had Iwai-San place a special order for me. I got a text message from him earlier telling me it came in this afternoon.”

“What is it?”

“A replica RPG-7USA.” Haru stared at the door Masaru was leaning against. “It should be in a large box in the back room.”

“Lemme take a look.” Masaru walked into the back. Haru could hear some fumbling and grunting, and after a minute, he walked out carrying a thin cardboard box almost as long as he was tall. “This thing’s fuckin’ huge!”

“Yes, well, you know how packaging is.” Haru watched as Masaru tried to balance the box on the counter. “The box is always quite a bit larger than the item inside.”

“How’re you plannin’ on gettin’ this home?” Masaru leaned on the counter once the box was secure.

“I assure you, my car is large enough to hold it.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible, unless you got a limo or somethin’.”

Haru stared at Masaru silently, a vacant smile on her face.

“You’re shittin’ me.”

“It’s not as if it’s my primary mode of transportation. My usual car is just in need of some repairs.” Haru started twiddling her fingers, blushing once again. “Actually, it’s been in need of repairs for several years now.”

“Well, uh…” Masaru stood straight and looked at the box. “I guess if you know you’re pickin’ up somethin’ this big, you might as well bring whatever you need to move it.”

“Exactly!” Haru’s chest puffed up. “Now, how much do I owe for the model?”

“Uh…” Masaru looked around the box, finding a number scrawled down in Iwai’s handwriting on the far end. “¥66,800.”

“Very well.” Haru pulled out a very fat purse and started flipping through the notes. She placed the money on the counter one bill at a time until she had the exact amount. “Here you go!”

“Ok then…” Masaru counted the stack quickly then opened the register. “Just how much cash do you carry around?”

“Enough.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?”

“I assure you, I’m in no danger.” Haru grabbed the box and hoisted it over her shoulder, carrying it towards the door with one arm with ease. “Thank you for your assistance, Masaru-Kun!”

“Sure thing.” Masaru yawned. “See you at the cafe tomorrow?”

“I certainly hope so!” Haru opened the door and paused, looking back at Masaru. “Oh, and Masaru-Kun, I want you to know that you’re wrong.”

“About what?”

“Your description of yourself. You’re not ugly, and you’re not scary.” Haru’s eyes trailed away for a second, then refocused on Masaru. “In my own opinion, you’re actually rather handsome.”

“Oh yeah?” Masaru grinned. “Handsome enough to go out to dinner with?”

“Yes.” Haru smiled so widely that Masaru thought the corners of her mouth were going to rise up into her eye sockets. “I do believe so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY GOT THIS DONE
> 
> I honestly can't give you a good reason this took so long. I wasn't totally sure what I actually wanted to do with this chapter at first, but once I did figure it out it should've been done a lot quicker than it was.
> 
> I realize that this ending may feel abrupt, but I don't feel like I really need to tell the story of their first date or anything. At any rate, now that I finally finished telling this story, I can finally tell some others. Somewhere down the line. Not immediately. Got something cooking in my head that's both Ryuji/Hifumi AND Ann/Shiho at once. Think I want that to be my next piece.
> 
> Also, meaningless Internet points to anybody who can guess what cartoon I was catching up on when I wrote this chapter. (Hint: It's related to Haru's employee's name)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's one I've been wanting to tell for a while. I'm sure some folks'll be annoyed that I'm hooking Haru up with some OC instead of following through with the Haru/Kanji tease, but I have made it clear that things ultimately didn't work out for those two.
> 
> I'm not sure how long this one'll be but I do have some fun moments planned for it so I think it'll be at least 3 chapters.


End file.
